Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Republicans choose power over democracy, every day.

The most dangerous place for a black man in America is in a white man’s imagination.

Historically it was a little unusual for the president to be an incoherent babbling moron.

One way or another, he’s a liar.

Let the trolls come, and then ignore them. that’s the worst thing you can do to a troll.

“Alexa, change the president.”

… riddled with inexplicable and elementary errors of law and fact

Let there be snark.

Stay strong, because they are weak.

Baby steps, because the Republican Party is full of angry babies.

Bark louder, little dog.

They traffic in fear. it is their only currency. if we are fearful, they are winning.

If you cannot answer whether trump lost the 2020 election, you are unfit for office.

Human rights are not a matter of opinion!

Giving in to doom is how we fail to fight for ourselves & one another.

Republicans don’t lie to be believed, they lie to be repeated.

JFC, are there no editors left at that goddamn rag?

Putting aside our relentless self-interest because the moral imperative is crystal clear.

Reality always gets a vote in the end.

When your entire life is steeped in white supremacy, equality feels like discrimination.

When tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty. ~Thomas Jefferson

Fight them, without becoming them!

the 10% who apparently lack object permanence

Our messy unity will be our strength.

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Archives for 2009

Expanding the Rhymes of Sucka M.C. Amateurs

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Apparently you all like your music, if last night’s thread is any indication. Looking through the comments, I notice that almost no one is savaging my picks, which would lead me to think that at worst, they are ok. However, I do want to note that several albums were mentioned (albums that I even own) that could easily make the list:

The Police- Synchronicity. Not sure if there is another album out there that so totally captures the zeitgeist of the era (is that redundant?).

Beastie Boys- Paul’s Boutique. I think in fifty years, music historians will be on whatever the equivalent is then of NPR/PRI explaining how this album changed everything for rap-hip/hop-sampling.

Fleetwood Mac- Rumors.

I’m sure there are others, and I notice my list is lacking a lot of recent music. Over he past twenty years, I would say the pickings are just very slim. Maybe NWA- Straight Outta Compton or, for a different twist, Dangermouse’s The Grey Album. I guess I would have to think about it.

/music critic

BTW- my sister’s cat died today, and I will have an obit up later, but pet your furry friend and think of Sid.

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Another Open Thread

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Right now, I am of the mind that there are very few albums that in and of themselves are completely perfect. If I had to list them, I would say that they are:

Little Feat: Waiting for Columbus, which I simply think is the greatest album of all time. I’m really not going to argue this one, nor will I put up with any discussions of my taste. This is the essential soundtrack in the movie of the life of John Cole. I don’t remember not owning this album. I don’t remember going a couple days without listening to it. When I did POM nonsense while in the Army, I included instructions to be buried with this playing.

Yes: Relayer

Frank Zappa: Fillmore East: June 1971

Pink Floyd: Animals

Ben Folds Five: The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner

The Beatles- Abbey Road. Blah blah blah it’s the Beatles, how trite and overplayed. Not really very good musicians, blah blah blah- I love it.

I’m sure there are others I would include as being complete and perfect and when I finish listening to them I am drained and content, but these stand out right now. Your mileage may vary, of course, and this is not a complete list, but these are albums that are a part of who I am.

Let the psychoanalysis begin.

*** Update ***

OMG- no Velvet Underground, I must have no taste! Die, posers.

*** Update #2 ***

Holy shit. I forgot Paul’s Boutique. Shoot me.

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Nail ‘Em To The Wall

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Via the good folks at Pruning Shears, this story which just made my day:

Ron Grassi says he thought he had retired five years ago after a 35-year career as a trial lawyer.

Now Grassi, 68, has set up a war room in his Tahoe City, California, home to single-handedly take on Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s Investors Service and Fitch Ratings. He’s sued the three credit rating firms for negligence, fraud and deceit.

Grassi says the companies’ faulty debt analyses have been at the core of the global financial meltdown and the firms should be held accountable. Exhibit One is his own investment. He and his wife, Sally, held $40,000 in Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. bonds because all three credit raters gave them at least an A rating — meaning they were a safe investment — right until Sept. 15, the day Lehman filed for bankruptcy.

“They’re supposed to spot time bombs,” Grassi says. “The bombs exploded before the credit companies acted.”

More of this, please. These guys have, as far as I can tell, gotten away with everything and really played an integral role in letting this mess happen.

Nail ‘Em To The WallPost + Comments (110)

Happy Mission Accomplished Day!

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In the spirit of patriotism and self-indulgence, I’m sharing with you an exchange I had with the Times’ public editor about Adam Nagourney’s claim that Bush never actually said “mission accomplished”.

——————

Date: Sun, 26 Sep 2004 23:36:11 -0400
From: XXXXX
Reply-To: XXXXX
To: [email protected]
Subject: recent Nagourney article

Dear Mr. Okrent,

In his article “Strong Charges Set New Tone Before Debate”, Adam
Nagourney says “Mr. Bush never actually said “mission accomplished,”
but stood in front of a banner that contained those words.” In fact,
Mr. Bush said “America sent you on a mission to remove a grave threat
and to liberate an oppressed people, and that mission has been
accomplished.” You can check this at
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2003-06-05-bush-qatar_x.htm
if you like.

——————

From: Public <[email protected]>
Date: Mon, 27 Sep 2004 14:28:59 -0400
Subject: 9/27 Reader Concern
To: XXXXX

Dear XXXX,

We raised your concern with a senior editor who noted that these are
completely different appearances by President Bush. The speech that
you cited from the Web was a month later than Bush’s “Mission
Accomplished” appearance on the ship. And it is clear in the Nagourney
piece when Mr. Nagourney uses the word “never” he means President Bush
didn’t speak those words in that appearance on that day. Mr. Nagourney
doesn’t mean to be saying that Bush never — anywhere — spoke the
words “mission accomplished.”

I hope this is helpful. Thank you for your message and your vigilance.

Sincerely,
Arthur Bovino
Office of the Public Editor

——————

From: XXXXX
Date: Mon, Sep 27, 2004 at 2:39 PM
Subject: Re: 9/27 Reader Concern
To: Public <[email protected]>

Dear Mr. Bovino,

Thank you for your prompt reply. My dictionary defines “never” as
“not ever; on no occasion; at no time.” Does the New York Times have
a dictionary that defines “never” as “not on that day but perhaps on
another occasion a month later”?

Sincerely yours,

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At Least He Didn’t Insult Rush

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Too funny:

Several members of the Republican National Committee are miffed at Newt Gingrich for claiming that they’re a small bunch of egomaniacs who need to be coddled by the party chairman.

“Newt needs to take a breath,” New Jersey committeeman David Norcross told CNN.

***

Defending Steele’s tumultuous start, Gingrich said the chairman might be under fire from some in the committee because he “probably has not yet learned the art of massaging the egos of RNC members.”

“They all think they’re precious, and they all think they should be taken care of, and they all think the job of the chairman, first of all, is to make the RNC members happy,” Gingrich said of the committee’s 168 members.

I remember the Democrats after 2000, and they were not this disorganized and disoriented.

At Least He Didn’t Insult RushPost + Comments (61)